1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wagering games, particularly apparatus-based wagering games generally referred to under the term of slot machines, video gaming machines and computer-based wagering games running on these machines, and methods of playing games on these machines.
2. Background of the Art
Games of chance have been enjoyed by people for thousands of years and have enjoyed increased and widespread popularity in recent times. As with most forms of entertainment, players enjoy playing a wide variety of games and playing new games. Playing new games adds to the excitement of “gaming.” As is well known in the art and as used herein, the term “gaming” and “gaming devices” are used to indicate that some form of wagering is involved, and that players must make wagers of value, whether actual currency or some equivalent of value, e.g., token or credit. This is an accepted distinction in the art from the playing of games, which implies the absence of a wager of value, capable of returning a payout and in which skill is ordinarily an essential part of the game. On the contrary, within the gaming industry, particularly in computer based gaming systems, the absence of skill is a jurisdictional requirement in the performance of the gaming play.
One popular gaming system of chance is the slot machine. Conventionally, a slot machine is configured for a player to wager something of value, e.g., currency, house token, established credit or other representation of currency or credit. After the wager has been made, the player activates the slot machine to cause a random event to occur. The player wagers that particular random events will occur that will return value to the player. A standard device causes a plurality of reels to spin and ultimately stop, displaying a random combination of some form of indicia, for example, numbers or symbols. If this display contains one of a pre-selected number of winning combinations, the machine releases money into a payout chute or increments a credit meter by the amount won by the player. For example, if a player initially wagers two coins of a specific denomination and that player achieves a payout, that player may receive the same number as or multiples of the wager amount in coins of the same denomination as wagered.
There are many different formats for generating the random display of events that can occur to determine payouts in wagering devices. The standard or original format for slot machines was the use of three mechanical or electromechanical reels with symbols distributed over the face of the wheel. When the three reels were spun, they would eventually each stop in turn, displaying a combination of three symbols (e.g., with three reels and the use of a single payout line as a row in the middle of the area where the symbols are displayed). By appropriately distributing and varying the symbols on each of the reels, the random occurrence of predetermined winning combinations can be provided in mathematically predetermined probabilities. By clearly providing specific probabilities for each of the pre-selected winning outcomes, precise odds that control the amount of the payout for any particular combination and the percentage return on wagers for the house were reasonably controlled.
Other formats of gaming apparatus that have developed in a progression from the standard slot machine with three reels have dramatically increased with the development of video gaming apparatus. Rather than have only mechanical elements such as wheels or reels that turn and stop to randomly display symbols, video gaming apparatus and the rapidly increasing sophistication in hardware and software have enabled an explosion of new and exciting gaming apparatus. The earlier video apparatus merely imitated or simulated the mechanical slot games in the belief that players would want to play only the same games. Early video gaming systems therefore were simulated slot machines. The use of video gaming apparatus to play new gaming applications such as draw poker and Keno broke the ground for the realization that there were many untapped formats for gaming apparatus. Now casinos may have hundreds of different types of gaming apparatus with an equal number of significant differences in play. The apparatus may vary from traditional three reel slot machines with a single payout line, video simulations of three reel video slot machines, to five reel, five column simulated slot machines with a choice of twenty or more distinct pay lines, including randomly placed lines, scatter pays, or single image payouts. In addition to the variation in formats for the play of gaming applications, bonus plays, bonus awards, and progressive jackpots have been introduced with great success. The bonuses may be associated with the play of gaming applications that are quite distinct from the play of the original gaming format, such as the video display of a horse race with “bets” on the individual horses randomly assigned to players that qualify for a bonus, the spinning of a random wheel with fixed amounts of a bonus payout on the wheel (or simulation thereof), or attempting to select a random card that is of higher value than a card exposed on behalf of a virtual “dealer.”
Examples of such gaming apparatus with a distinct bonus feature includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,874; 5,848,932; 5,836,041; U.K. Patent Nos. 2 201 821 A; 2 202 984 A; and 2 072 395A; and German Patent DE 40 14 477 A1. Each of these patents differs in fairly subtle ways as to the manner in which the bonus round is played. British Patent 2 201 821 A and DE 37 00 861 A1 describe a gaming apparatus in which after a winning outcome is first achieved in a reel-type gaming segment, a second segment is engaged to determine the amount of money or extra games awarded. The second segment gaming play involves a spinning wheel with awards listed thereon (e.g., the number of coins or number of extra plays) and a spinning arrow that will point to segments of the wheel with the values of the awards thereon. A player will press a stop button and the arrow will point to one of the values. The specification indicates both that there is a level of skill possibly involved in the stopping of the wheel and the arrow(s), and also that an associated computer operates the random selection of the rotatable numbers and determines the results in the additional winning game, which indicates some level of random selection in the second gaming segment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,978 (Martino et al.; Four Star Software, Inc.) shows a video game simulating a blend of a Rubik's Cube® device format and a Scrabble® game format or crossword puzzle format (See FIG. 4, for example). Color variations in the facings and frames are shown (Column 4, lines 4-16). No specific minimum number of frames is required, but six frames are ‘preferred’ and seven and eight frame constructions are shown, with no fewer than six frames ever being shown.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,952 (Biro et al., Rubik Studio) describes an electronic logical toy containing movable or rotatable elements. This apparatus is a literal electronic simulation of a Rubik's Cube® device by the originators of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,340 (Greene et al.; Individual) describes a manipulation toy that allows display of various patterns of letters or words or symbols with moveable members on tracks. The tracks may be over a circular element. This merely shows alternative structures for the shape of a word/alphanumeric/symbol game display system that could be used in an electronic game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,882 (Pitcher; Polaroid) describes puzzle solved by arranging visual information in a predetermined visually recognizable pattern. The pattern pieces arrange themselves in various forms such as puzzle pieces within a plane, perpendicular to a plane, or other geometric arrangements. This merely shows alternative structures for the shape of a word/alphanumeric/symbol game display system that could be used in an electronic game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,766 describes a gaming machine comprising at least one visual display (mechanical or video) and a game of chance controlled by a processor in response to a wager. The game of chance includes a primary game and a sorting feature. The sorting feature is triggered by certain start-feature outcomes of the primary game. The sorting feature includes a collection of scrambled objects, such as letters, symbols, pictures, or puzzle pieces, that are at least partially sorted during operation of the sorting feature. The sorting feature generates an award, such as a payoff, a payoff multiplier, or extended play, if the sorted objects match predetermined criteria. In particular, the sorting feature in the broadest claim comprises: a sorting feature executed by said processor and displayed on one or more video displays, said sorting feature having a plurality of possible outcomes and a string of objects, the string collection of objects having a scrambled configuration and an unscrambled configuration, the string collection of objects being at least partially unscrambled from the scrambled configuration in response to random selection of at least one of the possible outcomes. The ‘string’ collection is exemplified by letters or numbers that form a definite pattern or word.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,814 describes a method of conducting a game of chance, comprising: providing an opportunity to place a wager to play a primary game; responsive at least in part to placement of a wager, randomly generating in the primary game a combination of indicia selected from a plurality of possible indicia and displaying the combination of indicia on a display associated with the primary game, the display comprising a visible representation of a plurality of reels, only one of the reels bearing an indicia for enabling play of a secondary game comprising a TIC-TAC-TOE game having a three-by-three matrix display associated therewith; and responsive to display on the one reel of the indicia for enabling play of the secondary game, randomly selecting indicia of a TIC-TAC-TOE game in the secondary game and displaying the selected indicia on the three-by-three matrix display.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,334 (Yoseloff) describes a method of playing a video wagering game. The method includes at least a first and second segment, the method comprising the steps of: placing a wager to participate in a video wagering game; playing the first segment of the video wagering game; continuing play of the first segment until at least one predetermined condition has been met; assigning a payout based on at least one predetermined winning outcome of the first segment; playing the second segment of the video wagering game when the at least one predetermined condition has been met; wherein at least a portion of said payout of the first segment is used as a wager in a second segment video wagering game in which a visually different screen format is used in play of a different game in the play of the second segment; and after play of the second segment video wagering game, a second segment payout is assigned based on at least a predetermined outcome of play of the second segment video wagering game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,660 (WMS Gaming, Inc.) describes a gaming machine comprising: a processor for controlling a game of chance in a basic mode and a bonus mode, the processor being operable in the basic mode to select one or more basic game outcomes and in the bonus mode to select one or more bonus game outcomes; at least one display for displaying respective indicia of the selected outcomes; means associated with the processor for issuing game control instructions associated with the respective indicia, the game control instructions including a plurality of nominal executable instructions adapted for execution by the processor upon display of the respective indicia and at least one deferred executable instruction adapted for deferred execution by the processor, the deferred executable instruction including an override command executable by the processor in response to later displayed indicia, the override command being executable to override an end-game instruction associated with the later-displayed indicia.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,411 (WMS Gaming, Inc.) describes a gaming machine, comprising: a basic game controlled by a processor in response to a wager amount, said basic game having a first display screen and at least one start bonus outcome occurring within said first display screen; and a bonus game activated by said start bonus outcome which causes said processor to provide an animation covering a portion less than all of said first display screen, said animation occurring automatically in response to said start bonus outcome without a triggering input from a player, said animation providing an animation payoff.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,409 describes a multi-step bonus game in which a processor controls a game of chance comprising: a) a processor, operating according to a game program, for randomly selecting symbols and for awarding credits when winning symbol combinations are selected; b) display means on which said selected symbol combinations are displayed to a game player; c) said processor operating in a basic mode unless and until a bonus symbol combination is selected, said processor, in said basic mode, selecting symbols and awarding credits or money in response to the input of money or credits by said player; d) said processor operating in a bonus mode after said bonus symbol combination is selected; said processor, in said bonus mode: (1) selecting an outcome as the result of a trial having a first probability of a winning outcome; (2) displaying the outcome on a display; (3) adding credits to a bonus mode total if said outcome is a winning outcome; (4) repeating steps d(1) to d(3) accumulating credits for each winning outcome using the same or a different probability of a winning outcome, until a losing outcome occurs wherein the bonus mode is ended and credits accumulated in earlier trials are not lost; whereby a player who reaches the bonus mode accumulates credits as a function of the number of trials survived.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,255 describes a bonus game for a slot machine operable in a basic mode and a bonus mode. The bonus game is entered upon the occurrence of a special start-bonus game outcome in the basic mode. In the bonus game, a player selects, one at a time, from an array of windows each associated with a bonus game outcome. Credits are awarded based upon which ones of the windows are selected. The bonus game ends upon selection of a window associated with an end-bonus outcome but otherwise continues, allowing the player to make further selections and accumulate further credits until encountering an end-bonus outcome. In one embodiment, a bonus game resource obtained in the basic game may be exercised in the bonus game to affect the bonus game outcome. In one embodiment, for example, where the occurrence of an end-bonus outcome would otherwise end the bonus game, a player having a bonus game resource may exercise the bonus game resource upon encountering an end-bonus outcome to continue playing the bonus game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,098 describes a bonus game for a gaming machine with two types of awards. The bonus game includes a plurality of selection elements, a number of which are associated with an award of coin(s) or credit(s) and a number of which are associated with an end-bonus penalty. The game is played by selecting a number of the selection elements, one at a time, until encountering a selection element associated with an end-bonus penalty which ends the bonus game. A first award type in the bonus game is a selection-based award in which the player is credited an amount of coin(s) or credit(s) based on the value (or cumulative value) of the selection elements selected in the bonus game. A second award type in the bonus game is a quantity-based award in which the player is credited an amount of coin(s) or credit(s) based on the number of successful trials of the bonus game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,097 describes a gaming machine comprising: a basic game controlled by a processor in response to a wager amount, said basic game having a plurality of different start-bonus outcomes; and a bonus game activated by said start-bonus outcomes which cause said processor to shift operation from said basic game to said bonus game, said bonus game capable of providing a plurality of bonus payouts, a probability of winning certain ones of said bonus payouts varying in response to said different start-bonus outcomes that activate said bonus game.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,207 describes a slot machine including a set of spinning reels having a plurality of symbols thereon, means for spinning and stopping said reels to display symbols, means for paying out prizes, and a processor operating according to a game program for controlling the spinning means and which defines a multiplier which sequentially increases in value, winning symbol combinations and standard prize amounts therefore, said processor including: a) means for randomly selecting symbols to be displayed by said spinning reels; b) means for determining if a winning combination has been selected for display and if a multiplier symbol is included in said winning combination; and c) means for calculating the prize to be awarded for said winning combinations based on the standard prize amounts multiplied by said variable multiplier, if the winning symbol combination includes said multiplier symbol.
It is desirable to provide alternative gaming formats and gaming methods, as the preferences of the players changes over time and new games with unique features are desired by the industry.